10/06/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline:

They threatened to burn his home and run down his two-year-old child

- a first-hand account of a racist attack.

The row over the on-the-run letters - the widow

It's Brazil, not Northern Ireland, for the First and

Deputy First Ministers, but what about the crunch talks

Life in the firing line - reservists train for battle.

Join me at the US Open, as Northern Ireland's offers go in search of

more major success. And it's the calm

after the storm tomorrow The victim of a racist assault has

told BBC Newsline that the attackers threatened to burn

his home and run down his child. Ade didn't want to give us

his surname. He was beaten and had bottles thrown

at him in the Sliabh Dubh area This evening and antiracism protest

was held. Today good wishes came to the door of the home in West Belfast

where just hours away he was attacked. This is a madness, you

have a family, you just want to get up, go to work, live a good life. I

said, excuse me, don't call me those names. They said they would run my

daughter down and they were coming towards me. He suffered cuts and

bruises and a wound to his mouth. When I stood up there was blood

coming out of my mouth. Two men arrested in connection with the

attack had been released pending further enquiries. We are ashamed

that racist attacks have been visited on our community. We know

the value of the ethnic minorities in West Belfast. We see it every day

in the hospital, working in many other jobs in West Belfast. They are

our neighbours and we support them. Since coming to Northern Ireland,

aid has lived in several places around Northern Ireland and has

lived in several places before. It wasn't my fault I was born with Mike

colour, it wasn't their fault they were aboard their colour. He says he

and his family will not be threatened to West Belfast and

tonight dozens of people turned up to support a rally against racism.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has said letters sent to so called

on-the-runs telling them they were not wanted by police are largely

Barra McGrory also told MPs on the Northern Ireland Affairs

Committee that consideration should be given to rescinding letters sent

The widow of an RUC officer murdered by the IRA has described

Our home affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney reports.

Part-time RUC officer Dougie Carruthers was killed when an IRA

bomb exploded under his car outside his home in May 1991.

14 years later, his widow went to Downing Street to urge Tony Blair

not to introduce legislation aimed at ensuring those classified as

on-the-runs wouldn't spend time in jail.

I said, Prime Minister, they appeal to you as a family man? I showed him

a photograph of my children with their dad just a few days before her

murder. anger at learning that Tony Blair's

government had operated a scheme I feel deep hurt and trampled upon

and my husband's memory trampled upon, along with the other husbands

and family members that were murdered.

Earlier, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee heard evidence

from a man at the heart of the debate.

Barra McGrory is now the Director of Public Prosecutions, but in his

previous role as a solicitor he acted on behalf of Sinn Fein and

submitted names of republican suspects to the police asking if

they were wanted by the authorities. Mr McGrory, do you accept that by

your standing you are the personification of the poacher

turned gamekeeper? You have said that to me before, and it is not a

term I would like to use. The existence of the letters came to

light in February when an Old Bailey judge rules that John Downey would

not stand trial because he had sent one. Barra McGrory said that the

letters were of little value if new evidence emerges. Is your view that

these letters are worthless? Maybe not entirely worthless but I think

they are. He was asked about the legal staters of the letters. These

letters are often not great legal significance.

They ought not to be sleeping easy in their bed.

Does Gerry Adams have one of these letters? I don't believe so. Does

Gerry Kelly have one of these letters? I don't believe so. Could

you identify anyone in the leadership of the republican

movement who would have one of these letters? No. The DPP said

consideration should be given to rescinding all letters as part of

the scheme. Peter Robinson later told the committee his party had not

known about the scheme until the collapse of the John Downey trial.

He said it was a dark chapter in the Chronicles of government conduct.

The Secretary of State says she thinks it would be

wrong to publicly name former terrorist prisoners who were given

Theresa Villiers also confirmed that it was the mechanism used to free

The royal prerogative of mercy is issued in the name of the Queen but

in effect it is administered at the discretion of the Secretary of

State. 365 were given out here between 1979 and 2002, the bulk of

them for non-terrorist related minor conventions but my convictions like

driving offences. But they were also used to deal with prisoners who fell

outside the early release scheme. Since 1967, 13 royal prerogatives

have been handed out as part of the on the runs scheme. In England and

Wales, recipients' names are publicised. Here they are not. I

don't think it would be helpful to discuss individual names and cases.

It has not been the practice in Northern Ireland to publish the

identity of peoples who reseed the rpm. I can see a case for doing this

differently in the future but I am not convinced making a change

retrospectively would be wise. Rural poor returns were used to free

supergrasses like William Allen and others who gave evidence against

suspects in the 1980s. What remains to be answered is how many royal

prerogatives were issued between 1987 and 1997, which records have

been lost or not maintained. And you can hear more of that on BBC Radio 4

at 8pm this evening. How sharing with neighbours

could benefit schools. The first of two reports

from our education correspondent. The First and Deputy First Ministers

have been invited to visit Brazil It's understood they have been

invited to visit Marfrig, the Brazilian parent company of

Moy Park. Marfrig is one

of the official sponsors of the World Cup, which starts this

week and runs until mid July. Our political editor Mark Devenport

is at Stormont. Mark, what's the full itinerary

for this visit? I am afraid I cannot tell you that

because we have had no official announcement yet. We note the

invitation comes from Moy Park, we know their parent company is a big

meat processing firm which has an official link as a sponsor of the

World Cup. When they were last there that was in March 2013, they were

there to secure jobs and a senior storm of source said anyone who

thinks this is a World Cup junket has it wrong, this is about securing

jobs and the two politicians would see more football if they stayed at

home on their TV screens then if they took these flights to take part

in this investment mission. We are due to have more interparty talks on

flags, parades and the past. How could this trip affect that

schedule? It would probably come after those talks conclude. The

timetable is that the talks should end in early July and they are due

to travel out in mid-July. In terms of other pressures on those talks,

the DUP said today that like the Ulster Unionists, they did not

intend to negotiate about legacy issues until they have seen the

outcome of the Judd led review currently under way into the issue

of on the runs. That issue is not meant to report until the end of

June. If they say they are not negotiating about the path that will

not go down well with Sinn Fein, who want the talks to start soon and

want to talk about everything, not just flags and parades.

The police have renewed their appeal to find a man who raped

and assaulted an eight-year-old girl near Newry 20 years ago today.

Detectives have issued two new images

of the man they want to question in connection with the attack.

It's thought he was in his late teens or early 20s at the time and

that he lured the child into woods near Barcroft Community Centre.

He raped her and attempted to strangle her.

The Republic's Minister for Children has started an investigation

The move is prompted by the recent attention on a convent-run home

in Tuam in County Galway where it's believed the remains

The minister wants the inquiry to examine the high mortality rates in

such homes, burial practices, the legal circumstances around adoptions

and the question of conducting clinical trials on children.

The inquiry will also include the Protestant-run Bethany Home

Five police officers have been disciplined for failing to properly

investigate a fire at a GAA club in Londonderry almost three years ago.

The Sean Dolan club has welcomed the Police Ombudsman's investigation

and said it vindicated its original suspicion that

Here's our North-West reporter Keiron Tourish.

The fire at the Sean Dolan clubhouse cause damage to the building, which

was later demolished. Initially the club was told by investigators there

was no sign of forced entry and it may have been caused by an

electrical fault. After the PSNI had watched CCTV footage, the Police

Ombudsman said the club was again told by investigators the premises

haven't been deliberately set on fire, but the next day the police

changed their due and treated the far as arson. They had done so after

what had -- watching the footage again with officials from the club.

Members had pointed to shadowy figures in the footage and bright

flashes within the building. Five officers have now been disciplined.

The ombudsman said the police failed to carry out basic enquiries such as

checking the broker of the clubhouse, carrying out door-to-door

enquiries, studying CCTV footage for trying to speak to the 999 call who

initially reported the fire. In a case like this it is vital that the

police get an early grip of the circumstances and exactly what has

gone on, and that was not what happened here. As a consequence,

evidence and opportunities may well have been lost and people might not

have been caught for a serious arson attacks. The Sean Dolan club has

welcomed the Police Ombudsman's investigation. We are pleased with

the report that indicates us at the time of the fire and we are hoping

lessons have been learned for the police on this. The Sean Dolan club

now hopes to build a new clubhouse and maintain links it has had with

the area since the 1970s. A 50-year-old man has been arrested

in connection with a stabbing in Belfast at this fishing tackle shop

in the upper Newtownards Road. A man was stabbed in the head and neck. It

is thought his injuries are not life-threatening.

Life in the firing line as reservists train for battle.

While most schools are winding down to the summer holidays,

15 groups of schools are waiting to hear which, if any,

of them will be selected to push ahead on ideas for shared campuses.

The rules about what they could apply for were pretty flexible.

In the first of two reports on this, our education correspondent

Maggie Taggart looks at the plans of some secondary and grammar schools.

These schools in North Belfast say their sports facilities aren't up to

scratch. Saint Malachy 's College uses pitches squeezed behind the

school and Belfast Royal Academy pupils have to travel miles to play

sports. They formed a group to bid for a joint sports centre. It would

be on this site owned by Saint Malachy 's but unused since the

1970s because of fears of sectarian attack. Good viewing for both of the

pitches. For us, it is something we have needed for the last 20 years

and for Belfast Royal Academy, it would save them travel time, so we

would hope to share a lot in terms of support -- support and GCSE

curriculum is an A-level. The primary school next to the site is

cars Glenn. In this easy road, its games opportunities are restricted

and it is included in the shared sports centre plan. We could include

sports like football on the pitch, potentially do some rugby, there is

the possibility of a little deal at as well. In Ballycastle they are

cooperating on a different idea -- a little gaily. At a gallop. The two

principles work closely together already. Here in Ballycastle is a

short distance between the high school on one side and the Catholic

school on the other. Pupils will this route frequently with the help

of extra money they hope to do even more sharing in the future. Their

plan is for two new schools and to shared centres, one on each side.

One concentrating on subjects like science and engineering and ICT and

the other about sport and creative subjects. But the schools draw the

line at becoming completely integrated. Parents in Ballycastle

at the moment have a choice of either a faith -based education or

not, and that is where this community is at at present. The

groups will hear this month which of them have been selected to face the

next hurdle, but no one knows home at money will be needed or where it

will come from. -- how much money. And tomorrow Maggie will look

at some more contenders She's been to visit primary

schools with high hopes. Last week

the world's media attention was These days, the modern army relies

more and more on reservists. Over 400 members of the TA,

including units from Northern Ireland, have recently

taken part in the largest military Men and women from all walks

of life were engaged in a mock battle on the west coast of

Scotland, and our reporter Mervyn The more realistic the mock battle,

the better the training for those involved. And with the Territorial

Army taking on more of the heavy lifting when the military units are

deployed around the world, this type of exercise is vital in building the

skills needed for coming back alive. Let's go, guys. A Chinook cashback

and RAF Chinook helicopter joined the units, used to move infantry and

equipment toward the front line. The aircraft came into their own during

operations in Afghanistan. But it is not all guns. Women also have

important roles within the full and part-time services. It keeps my

fitness levels up and it is just good fun. What about you, you are

smiling so you must agree? I am, there are fantastic opportunities so

it is great fun. You are putting your life on the line, aren't you?

Yes, but you know that before you join up so it is a possibility. It

is a part of my life and the part of me, so it is who I am. Over that

Hill are the good guys, trying to sneak through the forest and to raid

to get those two here and retake this position without losing too

many men. Rapid-fire! In the heat of battle, command and control are

crucial and the level of personal fitness helps. Exhausting, out of

breath, but all good fun. What is the main objective for you, it

includes to these positions without being seen? We're trying to get as

close as we can without being seen. Didn't feel like the real thing? I'm

too exhausted to even think about the real thing. In recent years, the

term weekend soldier has deadly been raised when considering the role of

reserve its in the modern-day army. -- steadily been erased.

Sport now, and with little more than six weeks before the action begins,

Northern Ireland has revealed its largest ever team for

There will be a total of 117 athletes from the shores waking the

trip to Glasgow. The boxers are the best prospects and Paralympic gold

medallists Jason Smyth and Bethany Firth have also been named in the

team. Jason Smyth did not receive the consideration standard but

Northern Ireland authorities believe he will do them justice. He has

competed at the highest level and we believe he is someone who has the

experience to put himself in a position that he will do the best he

can at the Commonwealth Games, so we have no problem putting his name

for. 14 athletes have been chosen, including hurdlers Jason Harvey and

Ben Reynolds, as well as pole vault is a wee brown, who will go to her

fourth gain -- games. Bethany Firth cannot wait to compete in the

competition. I had competed at the Paralympic games and my event was

not picked for these Commonwealth Games but I am amazed I got picked

in the aquatics category and I will swim against amazing people. Martyn

Irvine leads the cycling team along with silver medallists, while in

lawn bowls, Neil Booth will look to add to his tally at his previous

Commonwealth Games. And gymnast Luke Carson's recovery from leg injury

could be a story of the summer. With 170 competitors, it is the largest

Northern Ireland squad ever name. First you lose David Humphreys

as director of rugby and then land a stinker of a draw for the new-look

European Challenge Cup. It hasn?t been a great few days

for Ulster. They were placed in Pool 3 alongside

the reigning European Champions, Toulon, as well as the

Leicester Tigers and Scarlets. Munster drew Saracens, Clermont

and Sale, while Leinster have The US Open Golf Championship tees

off in North Carolina this Thursday. Tonight we hear from two of

Northern Ireland?s golfers, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, who won

the tournament four years ago. Graeme McDowell won the tournament

two years ago. From the US, here Stephen Watson. Pinehurst is

regarded as one of the world's most celebrated golf courses, steeped in

history and this year restored to how it looked a century ago. The

unique sandhills reminding them a goal back home. It's got a little

bit of everything here. I sometimes think I'm in Portrush. The US Open

is very special to me. I'm better prepared than I ever was for these

types of test, it doesn't necessarily mean you will have

success, but means I am ready if the good stuff comes along. Watching on,

as always, is his dad. He is hoping his son can rewind the clock to

2010. And Graeme McDowell's dream has come true. For it to happen to

us, coming from Portrush, is unbelievable. I remember very well,

I said, you are some kid. I could have said many a thing but

thankfully I didn't, we have it taped to watch again and it still

brings a tear to the eye. Did you ever get the DVD out and relive

those moments? Know, and maybe I should, I am trying to be a little

sharper with my golf and I am trying to visualise what I achieved this

year and beyond. I want to achieve more in my career, so this will be a

great way to start the summer. Trying to kick-start his season is

Darren Clarke, who has been working with the coach to help them when he

won his championship years ago. We work together for many years and I

haven't seen him as much as I would have liked to, but he is a very good

man. He knows me Inside Out and hopefully we will get something that

clicks this week and get back to scoring properly. So with Doctor Bob

Rotella and shots like this, Darren Clarke may discover his major

winning form as our golfers try to continue Northern Ireland's be

marketable record in this tournament.

And more from Pinehurst this evening. -- tomorrow.

Finally, the Republic of Ireland play Portugal in New Jersey in

the small hours of our time tonight in an international friendly, with

He was dripping with sweat and still manage to smell like a perfumery. We

are told lightning has hit equipment on the railway line and this

evening's enterprise service stopped at Dundalk. We have had

thunderstorms all over the place. Barra, your lightning bolt is back

tonight. We have had exciting weather for some of us today and

that heavy weather warning remains in force this evening. Today you can

see those showers rattling up across the island, bring some heavy

downpours with some hail mixed in. Those will continue this evening but

overnight most will die away and believe behind drier conditions.

There are clearer skies, a cooler nights but not too chilly,

temperatures are around eight or 9 degrees. A little mist or fog in

Southern counties by the morning but otherwise a dry and bright start.

Tomorrow is like the calm after the storm, plenty of dry and bright

weather and some good periods if you want to get out and cut the grass,

we have a few showers but they will be few and far between you will be

unlucky if you catch one of those. Into the afternoon, plenty of dry

and bright weather, a little cloud bubbling up with the odd isolated

shower to watch out for. In the sunshine temperatures will reach the

high teens, maybe even 20 degrees, so not bad for the time of year and

most of us will end the day on a fine night, 20 of sunshine if you

have any activities planned. Overnight into Thursday, and little

cloud will move in bringing temperatures up to 12 or 13 degrees.

It threatens a little wet weather on Thursday, most likely for parts of

the north coast and down through and from. Most places inland stay dry

and bright with 20 of sunshine and temperatures up again, up to 21

degrees and with light winds it will feel nice and warm. For the rest of

the week, there maybe a little damp weather on but high pressure builds

and that promises to bring more settled weather. We will see you at

the same time tomorrow. Have a good evening.